SKINCARE IS NOT VANITY
It’s easy to assume that as an esthetician, vanity is something that I care strongly about. It’s true that I desire to look and feel beautiful. DUH. I’m human. But actually, that’s not why I’m in the skincare and beauty industry at all.
I am not afraid of wrinkles. And yet, I’ll most likely jump on the Botox bandwagon in the next few years for the same reason I also like getting lash extensions or my hair done every now and then. I like to feel pretty! But that doesn’t mean that my use of quality skincare is because I’m afraid of aging or think there is anything wrong with looking my age. When I dyed my hair brown for a year right out of college, I didn’t do it because I thought there was something wrong with being blonde. Ya following?
If you ask me why I am an esthetician, some of the reasons (there are several) are because I love to nurture and pamper others, and I love holding a space for someone to feel like they are worthy of taking up time and energy from another human. There is something powerful that happens in the space of service. But also, the skin is the largest organ of your body. So for the same reasons I’m not going to drink my liver into a disease, eat my heart into failure, or drug my brain into mush, I’m also not going to neglect the one organ that’s on the outside of my body. That would be straight moronic. (Can I say that?)
Regular facials and skincare treatments are often seen as unnecessary luxuries. While there is huge importance in these things, I can still understand why many have this mindset. You know what argument isn’t valid, though? That skincare and vital organ health are also unnecessary luxuries. Are showering and brushing your teeth unnecessary luxuries, then?
SKINCARE ISN’T LIKE PAINTING YOUR NAILS
Let’s be honest. Many people think of their skin the same way they think of their hair or nails. “It is what it is.” Sure, sometimes you go all out and treat yourself to a nice mani/pedi or take the time to style your hair in the morning. But most days, it’s chipped, bitten-down nails and a messy bun. Am I right? The issue here is that your hair and nails are not organs. Your skin is. And it happens to be the only one not safe and sound inside of you.
WHAT IS THE SKIN’S JOB, ANYWAY?
The main job the skin has is to protect you from all the scary things in the world that you can’t see. Chemicals, temperature changes, micro-organisms, free radicals, and radiation are just some, to name a few. The skin is your shield. If you’re in a battle against a ton of bad guys trying to kill you and you break your shield, you know what happens? You friggin’ die. It’s the same thing here. Melanoma is the perfect example of this. This form of skin cancer quickly and easily spreads to the entire body and is incredibly life-threatening. We don’t hate Melanoma because it makes a mark on your skin. We hate Melanoma because it kills.
WHAT PRODUCTS ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL?
The simplest skincare regimen that will still keep this exposed organ as healthy as possible would be cleansing, moisturizing, and applying a sunscreen every morning, cleansing and moisturizing every night, and using a facial scrub or exfoliant about 2-3x per week. (Yes, even exfoliation is mandatory!) This is 5 minutes added on to your morning and evening routine at most.
If you’re someone who wants to keep your skin looking as young and vibrant as possible, I’ve created an easy system to help you create the perfect in-depth skincare routine for your individual goals. You can read it here!
You don’t have the be the person with a medicine cabinet full of a million skincare products. You don’t have to spend tons of time and money on trying to force yourself into practicing skincare as if it’s a hobby or an activity if it’s not something that interests you in that way. But it’s time to break the idea that skincare is for divas who are obsessed with themselves. It isn’t true. Skincare is for anyone who values the overall health and well-being of their body, no matter what gender, age, race, or ethnicity. It’s time to break the stereotype and start being healthy.